They began their partnership in 1950 at the age of 17 when they discovered that they shared a passion for the Blues. By the age of 20, Leiber and Stoller had seen their songs recorded by such artists as Jimmy Witherspoon, Little Esther, Charles Brown, Little Willie Littlefield, and Ray Charles. But the hits began with Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton’s recording of “Hound Dog” in 1953. This record, and others written and produced by them, caught the attention of Atlantic Records.

With his recording of Hound Dog, Elvis became a household word. Presley went on to record more than twenty Leiber and Stoller songs, including “Jailhouse Rock,” “Loving You,” “Love Me,” “Treat Me Nice,” “Don’t,” “(You’re So Square) Baby, I Don’t Care,” “Bossa Nova Baby,” “Santa Claus Is Back In Town,” “She’s Not You,” and “Trouble.”

In 1969, the team produced the Peggy Lee recording of their composition, “Is That All There Is?” According to music critic Robert Palmer, “Is That All There Is?” was the song that “…clearly pointed to the direction their new work would take,” signaling that, “…the Golden Age of Rock & Roll had come to an end.”

Leiber and Stoller have been the recipients of countless awards and honors, including inductions into the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. But the greatest compliment to any songwriter is to have his songs recorded by the best in the business. Artists who have recorded songs by Leiber and Stoller include The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, B.B. King, James Brown, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Beach Boys, Buddy Holly, Fats Domino, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Jimi Hendrix, Muddy Waters, Joe Williams, Tom Jones, Count Basie, Edith Piaf, Eric Clapton, Willie Nelson, Luther Vandross, John Lennon, Aretha Franklin, and over a thousand others.